The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Sydney

Australia have postponed their planned tour of Pakistan because of fears over the safety of their players.

The world champions were due to visit Pakistan at the end of this month for a 30-day tour but put the trip on hold after a spate of suicide bombings following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto late last year.

"We are very sorry that the tour could not take place at this time," Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Creagh O'Connor said in a joint statement released on Tuesday.

"This was a difficult decision based on independent review of the circumstances prevailing in Pakistan at the moment.

"We wish no loss to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and look forward to undertaking this tour in the near future."

PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said he was disappointed the tour had been postponed but was optimistic it would be rescheduled in the near future.

"We maintain conditions are still conducive to hold cricket events in Pakistan," he told a news conference in Islamabad.

"Our security plans have also been very good. Teams have toured Pakistan in recent times and have had no problems."

Ashraf said Bangladesh had already agreed to fill the void by playing a one- day series in Pakistan next month, while the PCB and CA would meet at the International Cricket Council's (ICC) headquarters in Dubai next week to discuss the possibility of rescheduling the tour, either next year or in 2010.

"The tour has not been cancelled. The tour has been postponed and according to ICC rules Cricket Australia has to fulfil its commitment," Ashraf said.

"They took their decision after much deliberations and we accept that. We just want to hold this series soon."

Australia had proposed to play the series at a neutral venue but the PCB declined, offering instead to reduce the number of match venues and provide unprecedented protection to the players.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said he sympathised with the PCB's position but Australia had no alternative after taking advice from the government and independent security experts.

NO ALTERNATIVE

"We left no stone unturned in trying to ensure that the tour would proceed," Sutherland told a news conference in Melbourne that was broadcast live on Australian television.

"But at the end of the day, for us, the safety and security of our employees must come first and we've been left with no alternative than to arrive at this decision.

"We wanted the tour to go ahead. We want to play cricket against Pakistan and ideally we want to play in Pakistan but right now, it's not appropriate for us to play in Pakistan."

The Australian government have issued travel warnings advising nationals not to visit Pakistan and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Smith said CA had made the right choice.

"I am of the strong view that the safety and welfare of the players and the touring group has been uppermost in the minds of Cricket Australia in making this decision," Smith said in a statement.

"The Australian Government takes very seriously the safety of all Australians travelling overseas and we recognise the difficult political and security challenges the Pakistan Government is currently facing."

Australia have not played a test match in Pakistan since 1998, with their three-test tour scheduled for four years later moved to Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates because of security issues.

Doubts about this year's tour proceeding had been steadily increasing since Bhutto was assassinated on Dec. 27 with several senior Australian players publicly expressing their reservations about visiting the country.

The decision to postpone the tour has opened the way for Australia's players to compete in the lucrative Indian Premier League, but Sutherland said that was not a factor in the decision.

Pakistan's Australian coach Geoff Lawson spoke directly with some of the Australian players to provide assurances they would be safe and urged them to support the tour if it is rescheduled.

"I hope this series is not postponed for long because Pakistan is in dire need of playing international cricket and more test matches," he said.